Process for producing sodium carbonate.



M. sPAzIER PROCESS FOR PRODUOING SODIUM ORBONATE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE B3, 1913.

1,122,323. I 2 IPatented 1360.29, 1914.

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MORRIS SPAZIER, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA..

To all .whom it may concern y Be, it known that 1, Momus SPAzrnR, a

-citi'zen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the 'countyof Los Angeles 4and AState of California, have invented new' and usefulImprovements in Processes for Producing Sodium Carbonate, of which the`following is a specification. v

This invention relates to processes for producing sodium carbonate', andthe principal object is to provide a process of crystallizing sodiumcarbonate by simple and inexpensive means.

It is also an object to provide a process,

for forming sodium carbonate without the application' of heat.

It is a further object to provide a process for producing sodiumcarbonate from crude soda ash-.solely by the use of Water. In thedrawings accompanying this speelfication and showing a Itypical plantfor performing the' process: Figure 1 is an end elevation of the tanksand drain boards.

- Fig.- 2 is a plan view of the apparatus showing the'screening device.Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the tanks and drain boards.

Heretofore in the productionlof washing soda or sodium carbonate theprocessesv have been eXpenslve, as Well as consumlng lo'ng periods oftime, together with the application ofv heat to complete a somewhatintroduced. When the. entire amount of` unsatisfactory method. l

This invention aims to overcome the above diiliculties by providing aslmple ap aratus,

as well as a simple method of ormingcrystallized soda with the leastexpenditure of time, labor, and apparatus.

More specifically, the process consists of Aintroducing into the tank 5the amount of cold water, 'approximately one hundred and eighty gallons,the tank being lled about one-third of its height by this amount ofwater. By cold water is meant water of the temperature at which it isdrawn froml the water mains of municipalities. To .this amount of waterapproximately six hundred pounds of soda ash are added, being preferablyscreened through the screen 6, at the same time being manually agitated,the mesh of the screen being preferably about three-eighths ofy an inchSiquare so that the ash is thoroughly7 brokenup,'the agitat1on assisting-in dissolving the crude material soda ash has been screened .in thetank the operator preferably entersthe same and A` PROCESSEUR PRODUINGSODIUM CARBONATE. I

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Dec, 29, 1914e Applicationined June 2s, 1'913. sriainmwazas. I i

Walks around the entire area breaking up the lumps that have. not beenfully' dissolved, the result being a clean milky solution'. Uponthecompletion of this stage the solution is left alone and, .if desired,the gucnumber, as' desired, it being preferably ar.- ranged so thatonlyvone tankful isformed each day. After an hours interval the-solution is examined and -if any sediment is cessive tanks 7 .and 8 maybe'filled, or any found the latter is stirred and agitated again for afew minutes. now left for seventy hours open to the air andivithin a fewhours a iilm. of soda appears upon the surface of the'so'lution and Thesolution is the crystals will start building from the under surface of'this film and then fall tothe bottom until the entire amount equa-l toabout fifty-eight percent. of the `crude sodauash has been crystallized.At the end of the -seventy hour period one corner ofthe film is broken'and the Water remaining is siphoned or transferred to another tank toassist in the cyclic process. The entire amount of crystallized sal sodais now removed to the drain board 9,V this drain board vbeing preferablyprovidedv with a back 10 of. approximately twice the height of the-frontv 11, with movable end boards 12, and

an auxiliary end board 14 secured by meafl of the strips 15 over thelower l.board Suitable supports 1G hold thesedrain boards intermediateof a pair oftanks, the-.tanks being preferably supported about threefeetso' that the operator has easy access to the drain boards, the materialcomposing these drain boards being .preferably separated'ito formdraining openings so that the fluid drainedV therefrom drains back intothe tanks. The crystals are allowed to remain four or live hours vuponthe drain board, .when it is sacked direct'from the suitable sacksusually, containing about one hundred pounds anddepending uponthe withinthe solution, sixteen and sometimes twenty of-thesev sacks will beobtained 'from the first tank applied tothe second tank,

' together with about onehundred and forty board into .one solution.With the liquor drained from I gallonsof water', bthe operation above pdevy.

scribed is. again repeated by screening within this latter amount ofwater and liquid s 4the six hundred' pounds offsoda ash, and the othersteps are carried throughuntil the required time has passed when theliquid re- 100 character and percentage of carbonate found r l.uponcompletion of the process therein the liquor is transferred totank 5,forming a cyclic process with the production of a full l workingcapacity of one tank every day.

By previous processes a poor quality has 'been obtained, the timerequired amounting to approximately twelve days, the product vlosingcloudy and formed of a solid mass diflicult to break and requiring theuse of picks to remove it from the tanks and of crushers to bring it toa marketable size,

while by this process the soda produced is clear and granulated,one-fourth of the4 time mentioned above beingl consumed.

lWhat l claim is:

l. A'process' for forming sodiumcarbonate crystals consisting in mixingsoda ash in Coldwater, agitating the mixture in a manner tovprevent theformation of lumps and until a complete solution is obtained, allowingthe solution to stand for a predetermined` period, and withdrawing thecrystallized product,

'2. A process for .producing sodium carbonate crystals comprising themixing of Maaate screenedsoda ash and water in an open tank, agitatingthe mixture during the mixing process in a mannery adapted to preventthe formation of lumps, and toy obtain a complete solution,`exposing thesolution to the action of the air for a predetermined period,withdrawing the liquor present, and

Afinally removing the crystallized product to suitable drainageapparatus.V

3. process for producingsodium carbonate crystals comprising the mixingof screened soda ash and water in an open tank, agitating the mixtureduring the mixing process in a manner adapted to prevent the formationof lumpsl and to obtain a complete solution, exposing the solution tothe air for a period of seventy hours, and withdrawing the crystallizedproduct'.

lin witness that l claim the foregoing ll have hereunto subscribed myname this 13th day of' J une, 1913.

MORRIS SPAZIER.

